How do I start an essay about someone who has enriched my life?

The process of beginning an essay can be difficult, but doing some preparation before writing the body of your essay can make a big difference. I recommend getting a piece of paper or creating a word document to make some notes. Consider the following questions and make notes or write out full answers.

• How do you feel you've changed for the better throughout your life?


• Do you have any role models in your life?


• Do you have a favorite teacher? Family member? Coach or mentor? Religious leader? 


• What things are important to you in life? What are your values? Who has helped to shape these values?


• Can you think of a time when someone made a big impact on your life by assisting you or offering advice?

After answering these questions, hopefully you'll have thought of one or a few people who have had a positive impact on your life. Try not to stress over choosing someone who has had the biggest impact or did something especially spectacular for you. Small good deeds are just as important as the big ones. If you are able to list more than one person who has had a positive influence on you, you may want to choose one who you've written the most about or feel you can write a lot about. Alternately, go with your gut!

Next, you could try making a small timeline of the times before, during, and after this person helped you. For example, I took ballet classes when I was younger. I had a really hard time getting the hang of pirouette—a spinning move. My instructor took the time to work with me and gave me tips on how to find the right feeling to pull off this spin. After his help, I was much better at being able to pirouette. Do you have any similar experiences? It may not be to do with any physical accomplishments; maybe someone gave you some advice that changed your outlook on a situation.

When you begin writing the actual essay, your introduction should serve to introduce the topic of your essay. State that your paper is about someone who has enriched your life, then tell a little bit about this person and how they helped you. If you feel that this person taught you a particular lesson, say what that lesson is in your introduction. (With regards to my ballet example, the lesson for me was to think "up," not "around," when spinning.) 

The body of your paper should be a detailed description of how this person helped you. Refer back to the timeline you made earlier and flesh it out.

Finally, the conclusion paragraph of your paper ought to do two things: resolve and re-state. If there is anything in your essay which needs to be resolved and you did not address this in the body of your essay, do so now. Re-state the lesson you mentioned in the introduction to tie the paper together.

As a general tip, don't forget to take breaks when writing a paper. It's helpful to clear your head when writing. Taking a break every 25 or 45 minutes to stretch, grab a snack, or focus on another activity for a little while gives your brain a chance to process. When you come back to working on your paper, you may notice some changes you hadn't thought about making before! If you don't have the opportunity to take breaks during your writing process, at least read over your paper after a good night's sleep to see if you want to make any more revisions.

Good luck!